Gretchen Marie Schaefer (she/her) thinks primarily about sight and perception as they relate to understanding when making drawings, sculptures, installations, and performances. Schaefer was born, raised, and currently lives and works in Denver, Colorado. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and Visual Arts from Regis University. She is a co-founding member of artist-owned and operated TANK Studios, LLC., a sustainable, community-centered studio space for professional artists in Denver. Schaefer is a former board member of RedLine Contemporary Art Center and of Tilt West. Since 2013 Schaefer has directed the Visiting Artist, Scholar, and Designer Program at Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design (RMCAD) where she curates the annual theme and roster of visiting artists. Her curatorial work includes exhibitions by Catherine Haggarty and Esteban Cabeza de Baca. In 2014, Schaefer was listed as one of Denver Westword’s “100 Colorado Creatives” and in 2016 she received Westword’s “Best Of” for her work directing the Visiting Artist Program at RMCAD. Her artwork has been exhibited at numerous locations including the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art, the University of Colorado Boulder Museum of Art, the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver, Rule Gallery in Marfa, TX, Texas Tech University’s School of Art, and the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, CO. Schaefer was an artist-in-residence at RedLine Contemporary Art Center (Denver, CO) Breckenridge Creative Arts (Breckenridge, CO), and the Jentel Foundation Artist Residency.